I was thrilled when Dr. Davis agreed to answer some questions I sent him for a guest post here. (He’s even said he’ll answer your questions, too, in the comments after the post goes up!) So while I await his reply for part 2 (update: here’s part 2!), today in part 1 I’ll jump around a little and tell you a little about what I’ve learned so far from Jimmy & Tom about this new book by Dr. Davis…

If at all possible, and if you have any health issues, you have to listen to Dr. Davis on Jimmy Moore’s podcast last week (Dr. Davis begins at about 41:20). Even if you think you already know that low-carb can improve a lot of health issues, you’ll be shocked at how wheat specifically is so uniquely harmful and very addictive.

Dr. Davis also tells what is the real cause of heart disease:

“The most common, prevalent outstanding cause for heart disease in the U.S. today is not high cholesterol, it’s too many small LDL particles. There’s only two ways to get small LDL particles, it’s either genetically determined, or it’s carbohydrates. It’s not fat, it’s not saturated fats, it’s not butter, it’s not too much cheese, it’s simply anything that converts to sugar will lead to the cascade of events that leads to the formation of small LDL particles. It became clear that there was something triggering itto extravagant degrees, and that was wheat.“

One more excerpt from the podcast:

Jimmy Moore: “You are doing a great service because it seems like a lot of the attention lately in the field of nutrition has been on the subject of sugar. I know Robert Lustig has been out there, Gary Taubes is writing a book about sugar and its affects on obesity and chronic disease, but why do you think the wheat issue is being so ignored?”

Dr. Davis: “Most of us, including me a few years ago, were lulled into this conversation with a very simple flaw in logic: ‘If you take something bad and you replace it with something less bad, a whole bunch of the less bad thing must be good for you. So if we take white enriched flour, Wonder Bread, white hot dog buns, and replace them with whole grains and you get a health benefit’, and that’s true of course, if you replace white flour with whole grains you do get less colon cancer, reduced blood pressure, less diabetes, less heart disease. But the flawed logic is, ‘let’s now eat a whole bunch of healthy whole grains’. What was never asked, was ‘if you take something bad, white enriched flour, and replace it with something less bad, whole grains, what’s the effect of no grains?‘ That’s the step that was not taken. It’s the step I’ve taken. It’s when you remove the grains, not replace the grains with another grain, that’s where you see substantial weight loss, reversal of diabetes, and reversal of numerous other conditions.”

A week later Jimmy posted an update on the Wheat Belly book and how it’s growing in popularity. Not only did it make it to #5 on the New York Times Bestseller list for “Advice, How-To And Miscellaneous”, but it’s also throwing the Grain Foods Association and the National Association of Wheat Growers into a tizzy. (Here’s the reply from Dr. Davis in an open letter to the Grain Foods Association. It is a VERY enlightening read, and with permission I’ve posted it in its entirety at the end of this post.) Also in this post Jimmy lists other bloggers’ reviews of Wheat Belly and he asks Dr. Davis one more question that he forgot to ask in the podcast about Dr. Dean Ornish.

Tom Naughton at the Fat Head blog did his own Q & A with Dr. Davis, and I’m including an excerpt below from that, but again, the whole post is SO interesting and worth the time to read! (I know I keep saying that, but this topic has my mind swirling, and I can’t wait to hear the answers to the questions I sent to Dr. Davis!)

“Fat Head: “Your patients are lucky – you’d rather change a patient’s diet than write a prescription whenever possible. Unfortunately, you’re in the minority. As I recounted on my blog recently, a co-worker’s wife was finally cured of her pounding headaches when an acquaintance suggested she stop eating grains. She’d been to several doctors who merely prescribed medications. So … why are so few doctors aware of how grains can affect our health?”

Dr. Davis: “I believe healthcare has detoured towards high-tech, high revenue-producing procedures, medications, and catastrophic care. Too many in healthcare have lost the vision of helping people and fulfilling their mission to heal. While that sounds old-fashioned, I believe it is a bad trend for healthcare to be reduced to a financial transaction bound by legal constraints. It needs to be restored to a relationship of healing.

I believe that many in healthcare have also been disenchanted with the ineffectiveness of dietary advice. Because dietary “wisdom” has been wrong on so many counts over the past 50 years, people have become soured on the ability of nutrition and natural methods to improve health. From what I’ve witnessed, however, nutrition and natural methods have enormous power to heal—if the right methods are applied.”

I am writing in response to the press release from the Grain Foods Foundation that describes your effort to “discredit” the assertions made in my book, Wheat Belly: Lose the wheat, lose the weight and find your path back to health. I’d like to address several of the criticisms of the book made in the release:

” . . . the author relies on anecdotal observations rather than scientific studies.”
While I do indeed have a large anecdotal experience removing wheat in thousands of people, witnessing incredible and unprecedented weight loss and health benefits, I also draw from the experiences already documented in clinical studies. Several hundred of these studies are cited in the book (of the thousands available) and listed in the Reference section over 16 pages. These are studies that document the neurologic impairment unique to wheat, including cerebellar ataxia and dementia; heart disease via provocation of the small LDL pattern; visceral fat accumulation and all its attendant health consequences; the process of glycation via amylopectin A of wheat that leads to cataracts, diabetes, and arthritis; among others. There are, in fact, a wealth of studies documenting the adverse, often crippling, effects of wheat consumption in humans and I draw from these published studies.

“Wheat elimination ‘means missing out on a wealth of essential nutrients.’”
This is true–if the calories of wheat are replaced with candy, soft drinks, and fast food. But if lost wheat calories are replaced by healthy foods like vegetables, nuts, healthy oils, meats, eggs, cheese, avocados, and olives, then there is no nutrient deficiency that develops with elimination of wheat. There is no deficiency of any vitamin, including thiamine, folate, B12, iron, and B6; no mineral, including selenium, magnesium, and zinc; no polyphenol, flavonoid, or antioxidant; no lack of fiber. With regards to fiber, please note that the original studies documenting the health benefits of high fiber intake were fibers from vegetables, fruits, and nuts, not wheat or grains.

People with celiac disease do indeed experience deficiencies of multiple vitamins and minerals after they eliminate all wheat and gluten from the diet. But this is not due to a diet lacking valuable nutrients, but from the incomplete healing of the gastrointestinal tract (such as the lining of the duodenum and proximal jejunum). In these people, the destructive effects of wheat are so overpowering that, unfortunately, some people never heal completely. These people do indeed require vitamin and mineral supplementation, as well as probiotics and pancreatic enzyme supplementation.

I pose several questions to you and your organization:

Why is the high-glycemic index of wheat products ignored?
Due to the unique properties of amylopectin A, two slices of whole wheat bread increase blood sugar higher than many candy bars. High blood glucose leads to the process of glycation that, in turn, causes arthritis (cartilage glycation), cataracts (lens protein glycation), diabetes (glycotoxicity of pancreatic beta cells), hepatic de novo lipogenesis that increases triglycerides and, thereby, increases expression of atherogenic (heart disease-causing) small LDL particles, leading to heart attacks. Repetitive high blood sugars that develop from a grain-rich diet are, in my view, very destructive and lead to weight gain (specifically visceral fat), insulin resistance, leptin resistance (leading to obesity), and many of the health struggles Americans now experience.

How do you account for the psychologic and neurologic effects of the wheat protein, gliadin?
Wheat gliadin has been associated with cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, gluten encephalopathy (dementia), behavioral outbursts in children with ADHD and autism, and paranoid delusions and auditory hallucinations in people with schizophrenia, severe and incapacitating effects for people suffering from these conditions.

How do you explain the quadrupling of celiac disease over the last 50 years and its doubling over the last 20 years?
I submit to you that, while this is indeed my speculation, it is the changes in genetic code and, thereby, antigenic profile, of the high-yield semi-dwarf wheat cultivars now on the market that account for the marked increase in celiac potential nationwide. As you know, “hybridization” techniques, including chemical mutagenesis to induce selective mutations, leads to development of unique strains that are not subject to animal or human safety testing–they are just brought to market and sold.

Why does the wheat industry continue to call chemical mutagenesis, gamma irradiation, and x-ray irradiation “traditional breeding techniques” that you distinguish from genetic engineering? Chemical mutagenesis using the toxic mutagen, sodium azide, of course, is the method used to generate BASF’s Clearfield herbicide-resistant wheat strain. These methods are being used on a wide scale to generate unique genetic strains that are, without question from the FDA or USDA, assumed to be safe for human consumption.

In short, my view on the situation is that the U.S. government, with its repeated advice to “eat more healthy whole grains,” transmitted via vehicles like the USDA Food Pyramid and Food Plate, coupled with the extensive genetic transformations of the wheat plant introduced by agricultural geneticists, underlie an incredible deterioration in American health. I propose that you and your organization, as well as the wheat industry and its supporters, are at risk for legal liability on a scale not seen since the tobacco industry was brought to task to pay for the countless millions who died at their product’s hands.

I would be happy and willing to talk to you personally. I would also welcome the opportunity to debate you or any of your experts in a public forum.

Comments

Uncle Jerry, I have an uncle just like you. Do your research. Nobody is promoting the dangerous Atkins diet. Losing grain from your diet IS healthy. Simple fact is humans were not designed (from teeth to tail) for eating grain. We have teeth designed for fruits and vegetables and a long digestive tract. Meat eaters ALWAYS have carnivorous, sharp, protruding, flesh ripping teeth. Look in the mirror – you canines DO NOT PROTRUDE. Cats have a short digestive tract and these teeth. They can process meats quite well. Grains are not actually in either diet by design. We feed cows and chickens grain to fatten them up – it’s about profit.

Uncle Jerry,
You bring up a good point. The thing is, I’m so excited to get this info out there (which is why I just spent 4 hours on this post and it’s way past my bedtime) because Dr. Davis has brought to light a LOT of interesting new information, and if that information gets people excited again about giving up some foods that are keeping them sick, I’m OK with the overlap with the Atkins crowd.

Disclaimer: I am not a vegetarian. That said the reasoning behind my choice of the word ‘dangerous’ stems from my research in the direct link between meats (especially commercially raised) and the extremely high acid it creates in the body. we are simply not designed to process it. If a person adhered to 15 grams of meat per day, that would fall into the optimum level of proteins needed. but those proteins do not need to come from meat. case in point, the most muscular animals on this planet are plant eaters. quinoa is an excellent source of protein. it is not a grain. it is a seed.

I am impressed that you are aware of the acid-yielding effects of animal products. Interesting thing: Primitive hunter-gatherer cultures who eat animal products, plants, and nuts have net alkaline pH in the urine. It’s the grains, of course, that shift pH to the acidic side.

I don’t want to sound like a bloodthirsty carnivore, because I really have no taste for meat. But I do believe that meat consumption is consistent with good health in a wheat-free, grain-free diet.

You can eat a lot of leafy greens and alkalizing foods on Atkins. Just like any other “diet” (vegan, vegetarian, whatever) there is a healthy way to eat and an unhealthy way to eat following each of those diets. French fries are vegetarian/vegan, but a lot of vegans don’t eat them because they know how bad they are. People who follow Atkins can eat lots of green veggies, alkalin fruits (lemon, lime, tomatoes, avocados, coconut) as well as grass fed meats and be very healthy and balanced. Or they can eat a ton of nasty grain fed meats, grain fed dairy and no veggies and be really unhealthy.

whether you can or not is not the point. most people in the general population will not research and will order the eggs and bacon, hold the toast. i see it every day. you may have a different client base. more informed. this is the hurdle i had to overcome. the most well intentioned are usually dangerously under-informed. i stand by my statement that even grass finished beef will cause a buildup of acid. our bodies are not designed that way.

As I progress farther into my time without wheat in my diet (a choice I made about a year ago simply because I noticed an improvement in my digestion without it), I am more and more convinced that it was the right idea. Just finished some reading last night on the detrimental effects of gluten on thyroid, and now this: thank you for posting it, Kelly!

You quite sure the human body was not designed to digest grains? I am no expert, but most of the Eastern world live off some form of grain and are more healthy than us westerner’s. (Source China Study)
Its not like grains are the most complex componds to break down by enzymes.

I buy Multiseed wholemeal bread from the bakers and I always have thought it good for me (best bread I can find) is this suppose to be bad for me? or are we just taking about the crappy processed bread you buy in a nice shiny packaging?

Why is it so hard to understand that comparing bad junk to less bad junk is hardly rational when you’ve never tried comparing junk to no junk? This is like every study done that lumps pepperoni in with steak and then concludes that meat is bad for you. Or lumps sugar together with fat and then concludes that fat is bad for you. It’s not good science, it’s not logical. It’s junk.

The human body can indeed digest grains, but there are unavoidable adverse consequences, most chronic and low-grade, that develop.

However, the crucial issue is that the relationship of wheat and humans has changed due to the substantial genetic changes introduced into the wheat plant for purposes of increasing yield. This has served to amplify many of the negative effects of wheat on humans.

I should also mention that the China Study appears to be a deeply flawed analysis.

If you’d like a modern re-interpretation, i.e., an objective analysis of the raw data, take a look at Denise Minger’s discussions in her http://rawfoodssos.com blog. It is nothing short of brilliant. Bottom line: Dr. Campbell’s original conclusions are only possible if the agenda was predetermined. The only food that was consistently associated with excess weight and heart disease? Yup, wheat.

Kelly, I noticed that Oregon Report link a couple days ago and followed it only to discover it was dead. Searching the site didn’t get me anything, so I mailed them asking what happened to the article. This was their response:

“The article was removed because it was posted in error as the National Association of Wheat Growers did not write the article. A mistake was made as the it was bundled in with other articles in an email, and without authorship it was incorrectly attributed to NAWG which was among other writers and articles in the email. Without an author we cannot verify that the article is credible or legit to post. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

I’m thinking someone tried to troll up some controversy with a fake press release, and thankfully failed due to someone else exercising the near-lost art known as “fact checking”.

Kelly, thanks for sharing this!!! Over at my site, I’m currently doing a giveaway for Kate Tietje’s new cookbook on Real Food Desserts. It includes some grain-free ones that have been a lifesaver for us!!!! (Her grain-free cookbook – Against the Grain – that I reviewed a few months ago is also a huge help.)

What about the traditional method of making bread through sourdough fermentation – does that neutralize some of the harmful effects the author speaks of? For example, I thought fermentation breaks down the lectins like gliadin.

Thanks Kelly for this post. I will be reading all I can from Dr. Davis. I work in a high school kitchen and just yesterday saw in written form the new rules we have to implement concerning school food. I just laughed. No FAT!!!, less protein at the high school level but MORE grain, much more grain. When are we going to stop listening to our government, who in my opinion manages to mess up pretty much anything it touches? After seeing, in writing, the new rules, I am really starting to believe it is all by design. The government and corporate America really does want us sick and stupid. When I see our kids drinking mountain dew and eating a pop tart for breakfast, which by the way is an approved breakfast entree–the pop tart—according to the federal guidelines, I can see why our scores and health are going downhill. Unfortunately, I just shut up anymore because it really just doesn’t matter to most people, especially if it goes against what they have been told by their doctor. Thanks for letting me vent. This just makes me furious. By the way, I am extremely gluten intolerant and have been gluten free for 7-8 years. It really does help and work. My daughter is now very low grain also and I am working on my 22 year old college son.

Oh thank you for your work in the school kitchen, but I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you to serve things you know are bad for the body and mind. I’m working at reducing my grain intake to clear my fuzzy brain and think it really is no wonder our school kids struggle with attention and grades if schools prohibit healthy fats and promote a high intake of grain.

I’ve been on way too many diets that espouse throwing out an entire food source as a cure-all to accept this idea easily. The two questions that immediately leap to mind are: Like the switch from white to whole wheat, would there be any point in switching from wheat to other grains like spelt as an intermediate step? And I assume, since it is not a grain, that coconut flour products would be acceptable?

My common sense creed: In everything, moderation and balance. I always look askance when anyone tells me to cut an entire food group out of my diet, or that I need to supplement “food” with some pills, shakes, or something I could not make in my own kitchen. Following this internal compass has saved me a lot of grief. This “cut grains out” business does not fit into those guidelines. For Pete’s sake, Jesus and his disciples were munching on grains when going through a field in Biblical times. They’ve been around forever as part of a staple of people’s diets, and this particular dude seems ‘fishy’ to me. Usually, I like your info, but I’m giving this one a thumbs down. Sorry!

I agree. Another food group we’re supposed to toss out. Ack. Pretty soon there won’t be a damn thing left available for us to eat, if we want to be “healthy”. I’m also suspicious of eliminating entire sects of food. I’m not givin’ up my sourdough for anything. We don’t have it that often so I’m going with the moderation thing. I love my homemade sourdough English Muffins with my pastured eggs and milk-fed pork bacon. I see nothing wrong with that and it’s certainly not something I eat every day. I don’t have man boobs, a wheat belly, thunder thighs or a bagel butt.

Well, Kelly, I’ll try to hang in there and give it another look with Part 2. I do appreciate all your many hours of hard work in bringing these topics to our attention to look at.

And for the rest of you, chill out a little, OK? I’m not sure how you all have the time to read all these books and do all this research, but I don’t have that time. I have 3 young children that I homeschool, I’ve had 4 miscarriages, my mom just died in my arms of cancer, and I am sick and tired of the judging. Not many people have the time to make their diets perfect, and I’m not convinced that’s the best use of our time anyway. My mom spent the last 2 years of her life reading health books, for the most part, instead of spending time with the people in her life.

Maybe it’s too much to hope that people who dialogue on posts would be kind and polite to each other, but I’d like to send out that reminder. And speaking of, I forgot that the Dr. would be reading and responding to people about his book, so I apologize for saying you sound “fishy”, Dr. But you do speak in a bunch of medicalese, and it’s a bit hard to wade through. I think it’s great that you’re taking the time to respond to people’s comments and questions personally about this topic.

And now, I think I’m done with my commenting for a while. It’s a little too intense, and as mentioned earlier, I have things to do. Gotta get my preschooler down for naptime, do some work on mom’s estate issues, do some more schooling with my older boys before making supper, get a load in the laundry, go to a worship service tonight which my husband is singing in, fold and put away my laundry, get everybody washed and tucked in, and then fall into my own bed before getting up at 5:30 am in the morning to do it all over again. When did you say I could read a book??? This is why I appreciate so much what Kelly and her fellow bloggers do. Cliffs notes, please!

We all make choices in life. Each of us do different things for different reasons. I am happy with my choices and you seem to be happy with yours. As you said, you don’t have the time to learn the “medicalese”. That is fine but it seems unfair to call the author fishy without taking the time to investigate it.

I totally agree with you, April. I eat a decent amount of wheat and have about the flattest belly of anyone I know so it definitely does not cause “wheat belly” in my case! And I think the fear-mongering over wheat (and carbs in general) is way overblown and without much foundation. There are many healthy, wheat-eating societies. Sure, some people are celiac and can’t handle it (and the question should be why are more people becoming celiac), and white flour probably is not the most healthy food item. The French stay pretty skinny eating a lot of white flour, though, so to say it’s fattening is quite the stretch.

There are a lot of negative health effects that people could associate with meat, too, or any other food group. But in the end, a moderate diet that’s not overly restrictive is probably what will keep you healthiest. And giving up wheat is very challenging on a social level, which should not be discounted.

The wheat that was around in Biblical times is a totally different kind of wheat that we are encountering now. Davis said:

“I submit to you that, while this is indeed my speculation, it is the changes in genetic code and, thereby, antigenic profile, of the high-yield semi-dwarf wheat cultivars now on the market that account for the marked increase in celiac potential nationwide. As you know, “hybridization” techniques, including chemical mutagenesis to induce selective mutations, leads to development of unique strains that are not subject to animal or human safety testing–they are just brought to market and sold.”

The kind of wheat out now can’t even be grown under natural conditions. It’s an unnatural food source.

I didn’t think I had an issue with wheat until I went on a 21 day detox when working with a nutritionist. At the end of the 21 days (going back to eating wheat) I discovered wheat gave me a horrific stomach ache in addition to inflammation ( I had recently had arthritic symptoms in my joints). The joint inflammation stopped, my brain no longer seemed fuzzy, I started dropping weight (6 lbs in 3 weeks). Dr. Davis’ book is right on.

This is a very interesting article with quite a few valid points. However, being an avid “traditional foody” I must ask if the author only wants to throw out wheat…or all grains because throwing out ALL grains is certainly not the norm for the majority of traditional, healthy cultures. As a Catholic, I am familiar with the fact that “bread’ is mentioned in about every book of the Bible and I am quite sure God did create us to eat bread. Those Biblical forefathers lived very long lives and I doubt their bread was made from almond or coconut flour. While I believe that cutting out grains would help the majority of people with health issues – it seems like it should be more of a healing practice rather than a lifestyle for those of us who are in good health. I myself cut out grains for six months on GAPS (I lost absolutely no weight unfortunately), but did seem to notice higher immunity. I recently reintroduced sourdough with absolutely no side effects.

The issue is that the wheat we eat today is not the wheat our ancestors ate during Biblical times. Our modern-day wheat has undergone tremendous genetic modification through hybridization — some intentional by farmers and the food industry — without regard for whether the resulting product is safe for human consumption or not. Our current modern wheat — modified to grow to a max of 18 inches instead of the almost 4 feet it used to attain — contains proteins found in none of the previous wheat strains. You need to read Dr. Davis’ book to get all the details, but even our Biblical forefathers suffered some impairment of their health and longevity when they transitioned from a hunter-gather society to an agrarian one.

Andrea–If you wish to consume the wheat of the Bible, it is not the sourdough or multigrain loaf sold in the grocery story, nor is it the organic loaf in the health food store. It will be emmer or einkorn, the two predecessors of modern wheat.

I would not advocate this widely, however, because there are still too many people susceptible to even these more benign wheat forms, e.g., gliadin appetite stimulation and central nervous system effects, lectins that allow entry of unwanted foreign antigens into the bloodstream, and glycation effects that lead to cataracts, arthritis, and heart disease.

I find it amazing that this blog post is dismissed without really considering the evidence.
I listened to the Jimmy Moore interview. I have read book reviews by Dana Carpender and Tom Naughton. According to what I heard Dr. Davis say, the staff of life from the bible has changed DRASTICALLY in the last 50 – 100 years. He said when one compares the genetic code from today’s wheat and wheat from 100 years ago, they are farther apart than humans and chimpanzees. This is supposed to be the same plant – wheat. I think this is the KEY point. The healthy product that many people in the comments are defending is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It was created in a laboratory using chemicals, not selective breeding. It was designed for increasing yield and was NEVER tested for safety. Isn’t that SHOCKING? Weston Price would have called this a food of commerce, because it is not in its natural state.

You can continue to eat wheat if you find a farmer who sells a heritage breed of wheat. NT recommends buying wheat whole, grinding it fresh, soaking it and baking it. That is how my great-grandparents used it.

Wow! How timely, Kelly. I just received the book in the mail yesterday and have been enjoying it immensely. While I seem to do soo much better without wheat, I could not understand why, or why ancient cultures could do soo well on it, particulary the Hebrew people from Bible days. It just didn’t make sense. I have been searching for answers for some months now and feel I am finally finding some real answers. This book is an eye-opener! A MUST-READ!!!!! Thanks, Kelly for bringing this to everyone’s notice.

I think you are right ValerieH….the point is that the wheat eaten by our ancestors is not the same wheat that we are eating today. Dr. Davis explains the changes in wheat, brought about thru hybridization and genetic engineering, at the beginning of the book.
I’ve read about a third of this book, so far, and the information is solid as well as logical.

My question for Dr. Davis: If the wheat is organic and freshly ground at home, is the negative effect still the same?

Question for anybody: Is non-GMO wheat even available? or maybe I should ask, where can one get any of this heritage wheat variety?

You can sprout it, grow it using organic methods, soak the seeds, expose it to the organisms that promote lactic acid fermentation (sourdough), but it’s all the same stuff, the markedly and genetically-altered stuff dreamt up in a genetics lab.

The heritage wheat is an interesting question. Yes, it is available from selected sources, though there is very little of it. It is better, but it is not good for you. This will be the topic of multiple future discussions on The Wheat Belly Blog. Stay tuned!

Also, I would think that soaking/sprouting/fermenting our grains before consuming them would negate a lot of the negative effects that the author speaks about with regard to grains. Much of the problem with grains are the lectins and phytates, which are eliminated with sprouting/fermentation.

I have been wheat free for about 4.5 years due in part because of you and your blog. I have had great success. I do think you should be prepared to discuss the results of soaking and sprouting modern wheat. That is a technique utilized by many WAPF people and they strongly believe in it. I am not sure if there is any definitive evidence of what “properly preparing” today’s wheat does to it’s exomorphic properties, the lectins, phytates, the GI, not to mention the gluten levels. I am not sure of the cost or feasability of doing this type of investigation comparing modern wheat with einkorn. i am familair with the post pandrial blood sugar results you had in comparing the 2 but neither was soaked or sprouted.

in the end though, 99% of the people don’t properly prepare their wheat products so it might be a low reward experiment.

Anecdotally, sprouted wheat has caused many of the same problems that conventional wheat does, including high blood sugar and small LDL.

I believe that the process of soaking reduces, though does not eliminate, wheat germ agglutinin, the lectin unique to wheat. I believe that lectin content is reduced by approximately 35% by soaking, but certainly not eliminated. Many other components of wheat, soaked or not, remain.

My experience continues to be that there are so many undesirable aspects to this plant that any manipulation to reduce its adverse effects yields only minimal benefits. That’s why I choose to say goodbye to it completely.

For the record, I adore Dr. Davis. I discovered him and his Track Your Plaque website earlier this year when my husband had a cardiac scan and was positive for cardiac calcium. By eliminating wheat, most other grains and restricting sugars, he has lost 15 lbs and seen a dramatic change in his HDL, LDL, total cholesterol and tryglycerides, as well as a reduction in his fasting glucose level from pre-diabetic to normal range. I’m following the same diet, although not as strictly, and probably because of that and that I’m 56 years old and post-menopausal, I’ve seen only about a 3 lb weight loss. I feel great, however, and have not had so much as a cold since making this dietary change! I highly recommend that everyone read the book — it’s entertaining as well as informative!

Not only is the wheat not the same as it used to be, neither is the soil. So that would put mankind into a real bind because nothing is like it used to be, nor can it be – ever again.

So much hybridization went on even before the GMO fiasco, I doubt that any of us know for sure what we’re getting/eating even if we grow it ourselves. The cukes this year aren’t old-fashioned cukes the way they used to be – they’re more like a cross between a zucchini and a cuke. Yuk.

Even if you were to find someone proclaiming to sell heritage wheat varieties, how would you know that? Having never seen a heritage wheat seed, it would be pretty difficult to say and I have little faith in the honesty of people anymore, sorry to say. It’s a fact of life we’ve come to live with now. With so many people in the world who are starving, Americans should be ashamed of their constant obsession with food and looks and dieting, for soon we’ll all be starving.

I am about half way through Wheat Belly. Some of this info is new to me, most of it isn’t. I have been wheat free for almost 5 years for many of the healthy reasons Dr. Davis talks about in the book. I am really curious how the WAPF people respond to this book.

Dr. Davis makes a really good argument that the wheat most widely available today is very different than what the traditional cultures consumed when Weston Price studied them. This will be difficult to refute. I suspect the market for traditional wheats like einkorn and emmer will be boosted by the traditional foodies who want to avoid the dangerous crap grown today yet still have their wheat. Or they will just start eating paleo like their more distant ancestors.

WAF is commonly perceived to be PRO-grain but they really aren’t. Their stance is that basically IF you are going to eat it then at least soak or sprout it. They understand that some people think it’s necessary to feed their family within a budget. There are many WAF followers that attend the annual conference and are grain-free and diary free. They even have a special line in the buffet for them.

Nah, I doubt it. Like you said, much of the info is not new. Many people know the problem with wheat they just don’t want to acknowledge it because it requires change. Being that this is one more resource, it will hit home for a few more people but not to the extent of making waves unfortunately.

Kelly, I’ve got an amazing story I’ll (hopefully) be sharing soon, in more detail than this.

Someone close to me — won’t name her, for her privacy — has hypothyroid issues. 18 months ago she was in the worst health of her life. She hurt all the time, had no energy, could not lose weight (despite eating like a bird and constantly exercising), and the doctors were saying “biopsy, thyroid cancer, remove thyroid permanently.” She’d had these issues for almost 20 years and it was getting to the point where she could hardly function.

She thought there just had to be another way. We started to talk to her about the changes we’d been making to our lives. She listened. She sought an alternative doctor. She started kombucha, raw milk, herbal/natural thyroid support. After a few months, they said she was starting to heal! She began to lose weight. She went on an anti-candida diet and remains mostly grain-free even now. (Grain-free being a major key.)

And guess what? I heard that as of Monday, she is off ALL her medication — and feeling great!! She has HEALED her serious thyroid condition! She is almost 50 now and in the best health of her life. I am beyond thrilled. And I know that unless you are minutes from death you CAN heal. If she can heal from “possible thyroid cancer, damaged beyond repair,” anyone can do it!

(On the other hand, my husband’s co-worker has just been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Guess what he brought for lunch, post-diagnosis? Candy. Only candy. It’s no wonder he has it! We are planning to make him a delicious, healthy, grain-free meal — complete with a sweet treat made from almond flour — to introduce him to healthy eating soon, in hopes that he, too, can heal!)

This is interesting but change is good, I still find it hard to believe grains are behind it. – It maybe the case, but the nutritional guide line on food dont lie. They have to analise any food to get these readings and guide lines.

Grain has changed over the last 100 years, I looked (or tryed) to compare the difference and ‘Wheat’ still has good nutritional guide lines to its labels. If it has been changed (which I dont doubt it has) but I am still thinking the body excreates waste as a by product of the things it does not need or want and always has, and keeps and wants the things it does.

As long as your diet is rich in some kind of nutrients and vitamins and your well hydrated I cant see there being a great problem in eating the odd things that are no use as your body will dispell of those usless things anyway.

The human body is an incredible machine, it truly is. Even if you poison yourself (if not to badly) your body will put up all its defensives to stop what it harming it (put very plainly)

The biggest problem of the body is when it is consistantly bombarded will the same free radicals and poisons. Its not that the body can not cope it is more that the body adapts and the cell stuctures in the body change and cause disease and new impairments.

Indeed I agree – The Editor of Bodybuilding.com did a very interesting post on this very thing years ago on human long jeopardy. The only thing all centarian’s have in common with each other is they never exceeded an overly indulgent diet.

All people who live to a very ripe old age never over did anything, and all had very different diets. I can not endulge any more than that.

I would have thought the gene pool has something to do with it as well.

As hunter-gatherers, we ate some combination of the following: land mammals (including organs, fat and marrow), cooked tubers, seafood (fish, mammals, shellfish, seaweed), eggs, nuts, fruit, honey, “vegetables” (stems, leaves, etc.), mushrooms, assorted land animals, birds and insects. This is pretty much what we’ve been living on since we evolved as a species, and even before, for a total of 1.5 million years or so.

Although wheat had its origin 11,500 years ago, it didn’t become widespread in Western Europe for another 4,500 years. So if you’re of European descent, your ancestors have been eating grains for roughly 7,000 years. From an evolutionary standpoint, even 11,500 years is the blink of an eye.

The change to grains was accompanied by a marked decrease in dental health that shows up clearly in the archaeological record.

Just to clarify what you are quoting there. Stephen Guyenet was talking about “The change to grains”. as a diet change toward eating grains. Dr. Davis is talking about an actual biological change to the structure of grains that happened about 50 years ago and became widely consumed about 40 years ago. I think we actually eat less wheat per capita than 100 or so years ago.

Everyone is going to react somewhat differently to different types of foods based on their genetics/ancestry. But you won’t know how a food affects you until you first try to eliminate it.

I never thought any foods caused me specific problems. A year ago I eliminated grains, legumes, added sugar, seed oils and most processed foods from my diet. (I basically follow what is known as a Paleo diet now.) All sorts of minor problems that I never even associated with my diet stopped within weeks to a month – sinus congestion, GERD, joint pain, snoring. On top of that I lost about 35 pounds.

Here is my advice. It doesn’t matter if any of the commenters here believe that wheat is bad. It doesn’t matter if your doctor thinks wheat is the greatest thing since sliced bread. What matters is how grains affect you. Again, you will not know that until you try it. Read the book, so you understand why you are doing it. Eliminate wheat for at least 30 days. If you don’t notice any change or improvement to your health, your local bakery will still be there at the end of the month to welcome you back with a bagel. But if there is a positive change, wouldn’t it be great to know you have a simple, healthy, drug-free path to a more healthy life?

I brought this argument out publicly so that individuals can make their own decision. This is not a Congression decree, not is it some new dietary regulation. It is information that has been buried and ignored while conventional advice continues to advocate a style of eating that has made a nation of fat diabetics with a collection of health conditions.

In fact, the outpouring of incredible turnarounds in health make me wish I had done this a lot sooner!

Yes, very well put! This is how I came to the conclusion that a vegetarian diet isn’t for everyone – I became quite ill on a vegetarian diet after giving it a good “go” – twice, for a one year period both times. We have to listen to our bodies.

Interestingly I don’t notice the difference in my health and mood when I give up wheat, other than a small weight loss (I’m not overweight so it’s not an issue anyway). The science here makes sense… but it doesn’t seem worth the difficulties.

Before anyone goes of half-cocked and trashes the Doctors work and conclusions, or makes blanket statements like “I am am suspicious of any diet that throws out a food group” or uses a religious (or any other non-scientific based text) as justification for a point of view, might I suggest you actually read the book in question?
Many of the critical comments I have been reading come from an ignorant point of view. Now, before the critics rise up on their hind legs about the use of the word “ignorant” you might want to understand the context of the word. Uninformed and/or unenlightened on the particular work. From condemnation of Atkins (which is not even part of the doctors discussion, except that both diets deal with grains) to arguments of tooth structure, to rationale that it exists, therefore we should eat it (forgetting the fact that the grain in question is barely related to the grain of 2000 years ago) Perhaps it exists for other creatures consumption? It is awfully presumptuous to assume it is for us as well as other creatures. If it was placed here by a creator, all well and good. But who says it is for humans?
Finally, for those that use as the basis of their argument “we have been eating domesticated grain for 10,000 years” Well, we have NOT been eating grain for the previous 2,000,000+ years (this time span subject to personal views) and the products of today for less than 60 years. But all that is covered in the book. If the $26 dollar price tag throws you off, buy the kindle version for $10, download the free reader to your PC, laptop or tablet, and read at your leisure. Then perhaps you can hammer out an informed opinion.

1. The grain maybe different (I will trust you on this) but untill there is a spread sheet put up comparing the nutritional values of grain today with the grain of years ago, how do we know the difference? When I look on the back of a cerial box there seems nothing wrong with its nutritional values and I am healthy as anyone.

2. If something has been changed does not mean its wrong. (could be an improvement for all we know)

3. In England where I live the food laws are super strict. This would have been brought up before, and I have heard hardly anything EVER in the past about Wheat being bad for you.

4. When a debate surrounds what is said in a book that is being sold for money I am sceptical straight away.

5. A super simple nutritional break down or something would be fine, not all these links and studies that have conclusions with no equations at the end.

Sorry for the rant but this link has bothered me today, especially when I was eating my weetabix for breakfast.

I am in no way financially tied to the doctor. The book is worth the investment. The argument is well made, the science sound and backed up. You will more than likely not see too many studies on the ill effects of grains. A vested interest in at least the US economy will squash those as quick as they are proposed. I believe 80% of the US nutritional studies are paid for by a party with a vested interest in the outcome. Hardly honest science.

You are right, change does not make it wrong. But by the same token, genetic changes are tricky things. The changes were made not from a nutritional standpoint, but a yield one. Shorter, higher yield plants changes may have effects beyond just volume. I cannot speak for the UK, but my understanding is that plant alterations are not controlled as tightly as animal. After all, wheat is just wheat….right?

As for your comment about UK laws being strict, well, politics has a way of silencing dissension. And the power behind agri. giants are far reaching indeed. I am not proclaiming a conspiracy, just keep in mind that we are not discussing the local farmer growing 500 acres, we are talking about conglomerate farms, and multi-billion dollar industries.

I guess I do not understand, as opposed to a free book? The only free information on this topic you will find is that which is put out by the folks growing the stuff or the government(s) supporting it. Would you expect either of those two to put out information against the product?

You are not really ranting, and you bring up valid points. I was very skeptical about all this. My nature, you might say. As for evidence from me, I have only my own health to point to. After years of health issues, multiple tests (with no concrete answers), shelves of meds, something as simple elimination of wheat (all grains, in my case) ended multiple issues. I went from handfuls of meds, to a multivitamin and probiotic. Form close to 300 lbs. to 222 (and falling) from a lethargic attitude and 0 ambition, to energy, stamina and drive.

My trek began before this book was published. i am out here cheering it on because I think it is something anyone should try, even for 30 days, and see the results. For some, it may not change a thing, for others, it seems like magic.

I am glad you replyed Jim.c – I feel bad in a way cos I have always been super healthy (30 now) and have never been to the doctors – I am just a little annoyed as I do eat quite a bit of grain in my diet and I poop 2-4 times a day I am strong always have energy (to much if I am honest) and never had a problaem with any food, and this was before I followed a meat free diet – I am Northern European decent and maybe my genes play a part, I say this as all my older family ( really all but a few have lived over 90. And they all eat complete crap, even my Mum, Dad, Uncles and Aunties eat rubbish.) They are no Athleates but they have never had any health problems – This whole Wheat thing is getting to me a bit as I want to believe, but I am seeing no end conclusion. Telling me to read a whole book is not getting to the end definitive result which I want to look at for peace of mind.

Dam I just dont know! – The worst time in my life I have ever felt is when I neglect to exercise for a week or so. I think thats the worst thing you can do. Your body tends to take care of the rest.

“I poop 2-4 times a day” Buy Wheat Belly, leave it near your toilet, read it when you are in there and you will be done in 2 days. Follow the advice and the book and you will be pooping once a day like regular people.

Once a day is not normal! That bunged up! – must the food I eat digests in 4-5 hours. I do a lot of exercise and eat 6-7 meals a day. I would be seriously rotting inside if I only went once a day DAM! that is not normal! unless you bearly moved.

i honestly am not well read on the common frequency of bowel movements. i suspect that you eating so often may cause you to have many more bowel movements than most people. do you have any gas or bloating?

i have to ask though, with you eating meals 6-7 times a day, having 2-4 bowel movements, and doing a lot of exercise, how do you get anything else done during your day?

I would never get myself involved in these debates normally as I am super healthy and have never had any problems and (in my opinion have a good diet compared with most people I know) Just saw it on twitter and thought what the hell.

After ninja googling my way through the matter and reading Dr Davis works. I can only come to the conclusion that the processing of wheat in this day and age takes most of the nutrition out and the chemicals they use to do this can cause the cells to mutate and cause all kinds of health problems.

On the other side of the coin (and this has been my point all along) The whole grain of Wheat like any grain is good for you. It is a good source of carbohydrate with some protein as well as various nutrients including iron, manganese, tryptophan and magnesium.

And if he is going to say or anyone else,,, NO its about the way it is farmed,grown and harvested then you might as well include all food that is grown, not just wheat. These really are my final thoughts on the matter as it seems to go round in circles of information that have no equational conclusion

Mattino, it sounds like you’re healthy doing what you’re doing, and it’s worked for your family. I wouldn’t change things because you’re likely to only worsen your health. If it ain’t broke don’t try to fix it! A lot of people have ruined their good health by doing things like going low-carb. If you tolerate wheat well and are healthy on your diet (which it sounds like), stick with it.

Jim – Well said! I alluded to this in my comment above as well. Kelly’s blog is a great resource. If she thinks this is an important topic, her faithful readers might at least look at the information presented.

I do think it is difficult finding the right nutritional path. There are so many experts out there. The vegan books are probably just as annotated as the paleo books. Just recently, Don Matesz from Primal Wisdom decided after 4-5 years that paleo just wasn’t working for him. http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/2011/06/farewell-to-paleo.html. He had been previously vegetarian before trying the paleo diet. I wonder how to discuss WAPF nutrition among my vegetarian Hindu coworkers. I wish Dr. Price had visited India. It was under British rule then. He must have considered it more civilized than he wanted to study.

Thanks for kindle info. I didn’t realize I could download the reader for free. I always thought because I don’t have a Kindle, I can’t buy those books.

I was so TOTALLY going to comment that very same thing. READ THE BOOK PEOPLE!!! It has many pages for a reason. It walks you through how the author came to the conclusion. While you are at it, read The Paleo Solution, too.

And most of all, don’t knock it until you try it. Go a week without grains and see how you feel.

Many of us have asked about sourdough and how it plays into this scene, and also soaked grains and properly prepared grains. It may have been answered, but I don’t have time to go through all the responses today, so if someone could please reply directly to my post it would be good. Thankx.

Hi, D! It helps with SOME of the issues with grains. In general you could probably say it eliminates 35% of the problematic compounds. Some of the compounds are left virtually unchanged like gluten and others might be almost completely eliminated by phytic acid. So in general it makes them a little bit better but no where near beneficial or optimal. Personally, I still don’t want to eat 65% of something toxic.

Here’s the deal. I feel so incredible when I am off grains. My thyroid is back to normal, my fatigue is gone, my skin has cleared up, I lost weight, I never get that shaky feeling from low blood sugar, my PMS is gone, my period is no big deal, my mood is better, sleep is better and I sleep a little bit less than I used to. I get hungry but I’m not ever ANXIOUS and feel like I’m starving. I don’t really have the time to soak/sprout/ferment anyways so I just don’t eat them. There are no nutrients in grains that I can’t get easily in vegetables and protein. In fact, I get WAY more nutrients by filling up with veggies and protein rather than grains. It was shocking when I keep a food diary online and compared my average day with grains vs. without. Might I treat myself to a nice piece of sourdough bread once in a while especially if it’s gluten free? Heck yeah! Especially if I can slather it with butter or dip in in olive oil.

So if you have NO health problems and are the perfect weight with a nice flat stomach and you are eating grains then rock on! If you have ANY health problems at all, then just TRY giving up grains for 30 days and see what happens. What do you have to lose?

Grain people are obsessed. Just pick up a nice ribeye from a grass fed steer or bison – a organic sweet potato – a bunch of organic kale – some Kerry Gold butter – take it home cook it any way you like – slather it with the butter and enjoy.

Kelly, thanks for this post! I have just started eating low-carb, because I realized I had been eating sooo many grains that I have gained weight. I have been only using natural sugars, in moderation. I listened to Dr. Davis’ podcast and realized that what he said about the addiction is true for me. Sometimes, all I can think about is that I want some type of grain. So, I am giving them up to see what happens.

I’m a little late to the party here, just got back from vacation but I bought this book right away when it came out and just love it! I have been on a whole grain kick for the last few years but with some recent tummy issues, thought maybe it might be gluten and then I was introduced to this book and am completely convinced. IT MAKES SENSE. It’s not just another fad diet, I am not that gullible and am NOT the type to believe just anything. Read this, THINK and you’ll see it makes sense.

Is the argument to eliminate all grains or just wheat and gluten-containing grains? My understanding is that rice, teff, spelt, etc are healthy gluten-free grains but the post seems to use grain and wheat as synonyms, which is confusing!

Dr. Atkins died from a slip and fall accident that resulted in a head injury. Anti-Atkins people like to spread it around that he died from heart disease, but that is a complete fabrication. Do a little research and you’ll know what’s true.

Dr. Davis answered your next question (“Low-glycemic, non-wheat, complex carbohydrates provide vital nutrients, don’t they?”) down toward the bottom of this post in his letter to the wheat industry. It starts with him responding to this claim, “Wheat elimination ‘means missing out on a wealth of essential nutrients.’”

Oh, one more thing. You mentioned that it was confusing and that you weren’t sure which grain he was talking about. HE was talking mostly about wheat in the post, but in the comments others asked questions about alternative grains. Part 2 will be up this week and that’s covered more there as well.

I won’t pretend to have the inside line on the late Dr. Atkins’ medical findings, but my understanding was that he died of his head injury and the effects of his ICU treatment. Speaking generally, spending a few weeks on a ventilator, being tube fed, getting antibiotics, etc. many organ systems are trashed. So I think it’s hard to know what his condition was like prior to his fall. But I’ve pieced this together with only what I’ve read in the media.

Wheat is wheat: It stands apart as the most destructive creation of geneticists . . . EVER. Other non-wheat grains, such as rice, teff, sorghum, buckwheat, etc. are simply carbohydrates. I’ll address this issue in Kelly’s upcoming Q&A, but suffice it to say that, if you live in the U.S., the overwhelming likelihood is that you are diabetic or pre-diabetic and we need to undo this incredibly bad situation by limiting carbohydrate exposure.

There are relatives of wheat, such as emmer, einkorn, spelt,bulgur, and rye. They lack the most destructive so called “D” genome of modern high-yield, semidwarf wheat, but they do overlap with many of the features of wheat. I do not believe they are good for anyone.

The notion that we somehow need grains is a fiction propagated by dietitians and the food industry. By the way, know who sits on much of the wheat trade group boards? Members of the pharmaceutical industry. Connect the dots. It’s really creepy.

Kelly, I will keep up your high standards and apologies for distastful use of language. I only reply in frustration that is all. This whole matter (that ‘I have tryed to get to the bottom of) still has no great conclusion.

I agree in parts but need closure.

I to have blogs that annoy me when people are rude. If this really is the truth it needs to be out there main stream now and every one needs to know to save lifes. Not to promote a book. If it is that important.

I am more interested in all these heart scans he has studied I would love to here more on them.

It’s kind of funny how Atkins gets a bad rap. I have a friend who I really respect for his medical knowledge. He is a big fan of the Zone diet. When I told him I was on Atkins Induction phase, he said Atkins was a dangerous, high-protein diet. I had to set him straight. After induction, it is pretty close the Zone, depending on how well one tolerates carbs. Most low-carb diets are high fat, moderate protein, low carb. Usually the carbs are in the form of vegetables, nuts and dairy until you get to maintenance phase.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January 2010 failed to link saturated fat with heart disease. The result? “…there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD.” Also, “More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat” in the studies which reduced saturated fat. If you follow WAPF Guidelines, you already know how good it is for you

Welcome! I’m Kelly, a homeschooling Mom from Michigan, and I've been busy sharing real food recipes and shining light on the truth since 2007. I hope you’ll stick around and become one of my reader friends so we can help each other along this journey toward better health and a better life! Read more...

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